Our Favorite International IKEA Kitchen Designs: Australia

Reviewing some dynamic Australian IKEA kitchen designs, as selected by IKD designers

For our designers, finding some of the top international IKEA kitchens starts with our friends in Australia.

Luckily, we here at IKD have designed some recent Australian IKEA kitchen designs that really reflect the unique cabinet style and organizational options available with IKEA cabinetry.

For instance, there’s the modern-looking kitchen featuring IKEA RINGHULT high-gloss white cabinets and IKEA JUTIS aluminum wall cabinets with glass doors for IKD customer Erik from Sydney; a narrow, 1910 farmhouse-style kitchen that features IKEA GRIMSLÖV (called SAVEDAL in Australia) off-white cabinets and ample storage for Melbourne-based IKD customer Trisha; and a newly remodeled IKEA kitchen for IKD customer Dearbhla from Brisbane, which features custom cabinets paired with stainless steel appliances and a striking dark green palette.

Any IKEA customers whose been searching examples of kitchen designs on HOUZZ and other design web sites will certainly appreciate the Australian style featured in this first installment of our favorite international kitchen design series. We trust these designs will inspire your own IKEA cabinet and kitchen layout choices — no matter which part of the world you live in.

Let’s take a look!

Modern Style White Kitchen

One of the things that stands out about IKD customer Erik’s kitchen is that he knew exactly what he wanted from the start.

“I wanted a modern looking, white kitchen that blended with the existing wooden floors (coffee-colored bamboo) and the open, hardwood beams in the ceiling. My main wish was for the layout was [to have it look like] a modernized French farmhouse with a light and white color palette,” he says.

To accomplish this, IKD’s design team suggested IKEA’s RINGHULT high-gloss white cabinets and IKEA JUTIS aluminum cabinets with glass doors; an IKEA HAVSEN apron front double bowl sink and a stainless steel range hood and refrigerator. The combination of the light cabinets, stainless steel appliances and warm tones of the flooring provide a transitional look and really give an airy, open feel to the space.

Storage for pots and pans, utensils and cooking supplies were also an important consideration for Erik, and there are ample options here as well, including a tall pantry cabinet with roll-out drawers; a trash pull-out and internal drawers. The look is completed with three pendants lights above the center kitchen island, as well as lighting under the wall cabinets and inside cabinets with glass doors to highlight plates and other decorative items.

“Our IKEA kitchen looks great, and the workflow is ideal for our daily needs. Plus we’re getting a lot of compliments from our friends and family!” he says.

IKEA Kitchen Designs Farmhouse

Faced with a narrow footprint, IKD customer Trisha knew her IKEA kitchen required a deft touch.

She explains: “The house is a 1910 farm house and the kitchen is very narrow. I wanted the kitchen to look open, thus no cupboards on one wall and lots of cupboards for storage on others.”

To that end, she selected IKEA’s GRIMSLÖV (SAVEDAL) cabinets in off-white, along with IKEA UTRUSTA hinges; IKEA ENERYDA pulls; IKEA MAXIMERA drawers; IKEA FORBATTRA cover panels and ample open shelving for the small, but striking kitchen. The look is complemented by an IKEA FOLJANDE wall-mounted extractor hood; a stainless steel refrigerator with adjacent pantry; and custom-made, dark grey stone effect countertops to provide a warm feel to the space. And, impressively, this accomplished for a budget of just over AUD $6,000 (US$4,427)!

“We are so happy with how our IKEA kitchen turned out, especially how our designer was able to incorporate our storage needs into such a narrow area. We could not have wished for a better turnout with our design!” she concludes.

Green With Envy

For IKD customer Dearbhla, things were certainly greener on the other side of her remodeled IKEA kitchen.

“We bought a brick and tile home which was built in 1947. There was an existing kitchen which we wanted removed entirely and we were very open to moving the plumbing and electrical in order to optimize the kitchen design,” she says.

So with IKD’s design guidance, she combined custom Ren Studio slim shaker Dark Sage cabinets and IKEA UTRUSTA drawer fronts; IKEA MAXIMERA drawers and IKEA VEDDINGE drawer fronts in white.
This look was complemented by a white IKEA HAVSEN (https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/havsen-apron-front-double-bowl-sink-white-s59253726/) apron front double bowl sink; a stainless teel refrigerator; a bank of two ovens and IKEA VADHOLMA open storage in brown and stained ash on the side of the upper cabinets. And, impressively, this was all accomplished for under AUD $7,000 (US $5,166). (By the way, we’ve been referenced by Martha Stewart Living as experts on how to reduce kitchen renovation costs as well).

She continues: “We [also requested] at least one bank of standard-width drawers and two sets of extra-wide drawers of differing heights to allow for pot, plate and utensil storage.” Storage was further incorporated into the design with a pullout drawer for spices; a trash pullout; a corner base with pullout; tall cabinet shelves and wall corner shelves.

As you can see, Australian IKEA kitchen designs provide a striking, yet sensible design approach which reflects the potential of IKEA cabinets. We hope these designs have given you inspiration as you begin your IKEA remodel. Remember, our design team is here to guide you in your IKEA kitchen product and design choices, so we’re ready when you are!

Learn more about how we can design your IKEA kitchen, bath, laundry room and closet at https://inspiredkitchendesign.com.